Church thanks BJP Govt, asks why criticised for its contacts with Govt

GOANEWS DESK, PANAJI | 28 December 2016 21:04 IST

Goa’s Archbishop Filipe Neri Ferrao has asserted that Church would once again issue an advisory to its people to elect right candidates in the forthcoming Assembly election, as per their conscience.

The Archbishop has also expressed regrets over some people publicly criticizing the Church for keeping contacts with the government authorities.

He has also thanked the BJP government in providing all kind of help in taking ahead its plans and projects.

The Archbishop was speaking at the annual civic reception Church accords on the occasion of Christmas.

The reception was attended by Governor Mridula Sinha, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar and his cabinet colleagues, Opposition leader Pratapsing Rane, MLAs of other parties including MGP leader Sudin Dhawalikar as well as other dignitaries.

Following are the major excerpts of his speech (Kindly click below the article to read the full speech)

“Our beloved Pope Francis says: “The earth is essentially a shared inheritance, whose fruits are meant to benefit everyone.” He further says: “Each community can take from the bounty of the earth whatever it needs for subsistence, but it also has the duty to protect the earth and to ensure its fruitfulness for the coming generations.” The Pope is referring to the principle of inter-generational equity, which the Supreme Court of India has made into a law to be followed in the Goa mining case that it heard in 2012-14.

We are trustees of our land holdings. It is our solemn duty to ensure that the value of the land is passed on to our children and future generations. Only then may we enjoy the fruits, shared equally. All generations and all within a generation would benefit equally. This would truly embody the central message of most religions, “treat others as you would want to be treated yourself.”

But what we see is an extensive environmental and social damage to Goa, which has generated rampant corruption and even weakened governance. It has been an assault on our community and on our natural wealth. More distressingly, it has been a loss to our children and to our future generations. Are we not answerable to them? Or are they going to remember us as an irresponsible generation that has squandered natural wealth for the benefit of a few?

It is for this and other reasons that the Church takes upon herself, all in the name of genuine service to human beings and to the land, the task of guiding her members in the process of electing the right kind of individuals to the local and national government. Elections to the Legislative Assembly of the State are approaching and the Church Leadership in Goa will take up once again this duty-bound task.

We do issue guidelines to our faithful on how to exercise their franchise and thus fulfil one of their sacred civic duties; these guidelines are read out in our churches, but they never mention the name of any candidate or political party. The people are sovereign. They decide. And our faithful are requested to pray and to vote according to their conscience. In fact, Catholics in Goa have already begun praying every Sunday, that the right kind of candidates may be elected to power in the forthcoming elections. If, as a result of the Church’s Advisory, some party comes to power, it does not follow that the party was canvassed for by the Church.

Secondly, our institutions work under the law of the Church, but also under the law of the land. For their optimal functioning, there is need of maintaining a regular contact with the government authorities. It is regrettable that sometimes such contacts are not understood in their proper context and are even criticized in the public square.

….I take this opportunity also to thank the present government for the support that we have received during this last year in the furtherance of a few of our plans and projects.

The Archbishop of Goa Filipe Neri Ferrao, gave a strong message to its faithful of Goa. Speak no Evil, HEAR NO EVIL, TALK NO EVIL , SPEAK NO EVIL.

Elias
, Collem | 30 th December 2016 11:56 IST

Have you sold your soul to the devil????? It's not too late. Resign !!!! And ask for forgiveness or else you will rot in hell

Lucia
, New zealand | 29 th December 2016 12:22 IST

Sometime back some Holy Father talked against the BJP, smoething like don't interfere in our 'HOLY' buisness, etc. and the entire Christian race from Goa came out in his support, you can even check the responses on this website itself for that article, it was something that was not seen in the history of Goanews.

Now I bet you, all those very same guys will erupt to hammer out the Bishop because he spoke for BJP. Wow, Awesome!!

Jeevan
, Goa | 29 th December 2016 07:46 IST

the Archbishop has sold his soul to the Devil. What a Hipocricy on the part of our Bishop.

We are trustees of our land holdings. It is our solemn duty to ensure that the value of the land is passed on to our children and future generation. He is not the guy for sold the land and we dont know where the money spent . Don't trust this man and he is no more credible in the eyes of the Goans, He should have reseigned and let the church should be lead by a true follower of Christ